Cozy & Elegant Wedding at 401 Rozendal by Justin Davis

One look at this cozy winelands wedding and you can see it’s drop dead gorgeous. Understated, yes, with its elegant navy, grey and plenty of white colour palette, but still completely showstopping. Just look at bride Chantelle’s white peony bouquet, or her beautiful lace dress, or the reception hall dripping with chandeliers and hanging glass bulbs. But I think what I like best about Christian and Chantelle’s design is that, even though they used classic elements and a sophisticated vibe, they managed to make their whole day also feel warm and welcoming and cozy – perfect for a winter wedding where you want your guests to feel right at home. And let’s not forget personal, because this pair paid attention to the little details as a way to tell their story, like the surfboard boutonnieres that mirrored the (completely adorable!) story of Christian’s proposal. Justin Davis was on the scene to capture all this winter wedding wonder, and make the fairytale complete.

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Real Wedding at 401 Rozendal {Lisa & Michael}

You guys, I am SO EXCITED about this wedding. The minute I saw it on our friend Carmen Visser‘s blog, I mailed asking if we could feature it – our first traditional Zulu wedding. Lisa and Michael are based in New York, but for their wedding, Lisa wanted to celebrate her Zulu heritage back in South Africa. I absolutely adore her traditional wedding style and protea bouquet and flower arrangements, as well as the way that venue 401 Rosendal was decorated in stylish African chic to suit the occasion. What a special day for Lisa and her family, and for all the guests who came over from the US for a truly memorable occasion. We’re so lucky to have such a rich and diverse cultural heritage in South Africa, and for me as a South African wedding blogger, it’s a pleasure to be able to showcase that in its variety. So here we go – get ready for colour and exuberance and meaning and so much fun.Read More

Real Wedding at 401 Rozendal {Woutrine & Tate}

Winner winner, chicken dinner! Today is a good day. There are actually quite a lot of reasons for that, but I can only tell you two of them right now. One, I have a new home! Wooo! It’s a little further into suburbia, but in return for leaving my beloved Putney behind I get my own little home office. Which, as a blogger (and hell, as a Londoner), is seriously exciting. And also, there’s a trampoline in the garden, which I will no doubt make use of after a couple of glasses of chenin. Two, I have a faaaabulous wedding to share with you from the wonderful folks at the Aleit Group. Their features always rate amongst my most viewed, and it’s no surprise, since they’re full of panache and pretty details. Enter Woutrine and Tate, who not only combined romantic and strikingly modern into one gorgeous package, but chose to brand their wedding with a beautiful monogram and used it everywhere. I can’t say this enough times: you cannot go wrong with branding your wedding. It’s memorable, it ties your whole look together, and it actually saves a lot of deliberation over the smaller details. Woutrine and Tate’s letterpress monogram was pure class – I especially love how it turned up on napkins, giant screens, you name it. Their decor (OMG, strelitzias!) also fit perfectly into the incredible 401 Rozendal – what a find! Love the fusion of rustic, sophisticated ballroom details and even a little modern/industrial – it works amazingly, doesn’t it? I’m expecting to see a lot more from this venue. Pictures are by the talented Jan Hendrik.Read More